Question

What kinds of triangles can you use the pythagorean theorem on

Answer 1

Answer:

Step-by-step explanation:

The Pythagorean theorem applies to right angled triangles only.

However, for any other triangle, by dropping a perpendicular from any vertex on to the opposite side, you form two right angled triangles both of which can be solved by the Pythagorean theorem.

So, the Pythagorean theorem applies to right angled triangles directly and to other triangles indirectly.

Answer 2

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Answer:

  right triangles

Step-by-step explanation:

The Pythagorean theorem relates the side lengths of a right triangle.

  c² = a² +b² . . . . . . . . for legs 'a' and 'b' and hypotenuse 'c'

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Additional comments

The more general form of the relation between side lengths of a triangle is given by the Law of Cosines:

  c² = a² +b² -2ab·cos(C) . . . . for sides 'a', 'b', and 'c' with angle C opposite side 'c'

You will notice this reduces to the Pythagorean relation when C = 90°.

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Triples of integers that satisfy the Pythagorean relation are called Pythagorean triples. The smallest set (and the only sequential set) of these is (a, b, c) = (3, 4, 5). Other triples commonly seen in math problems are (5, 12, 13), (7, 24, 25), (8, 15, 17), and multiples of these.